Valve for automatic fire-extinguishers.



N0. 7ll,725. Patented Oct. 2|, I902. C. W. KERSTETEB.

VALVE FOR AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTING UISHERS.

(Application filed Oct. 2.1901.)

(N0 Model.)

o 28 ll 1 6 2 0 Ill 1 v 8 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES IV. KERSTETER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VALVE F OR AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,725, dated October 21, 1902. Application filed October 2,1901. Serial No. 77,328. (No model.)

ing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and- State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Automatic Fire-Extinguishers, of which the fol lowing is a specification. v

The present invention relates to a valve of the class shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 681,883, which were granted to me on the 3d day of September, 1901; and its object is to eliminate as far as possible or reduce to a minimum lateral strains upon the air-valve, to the end'that said valve and the parts carried by it shall be practically without frictional contact with other parts, and to the further end that as the valve opens it will move bodily directly away from its seat without any tendency to cant.

To these ends the invention consists in the features of novelty that are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a valve embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a portion thereof on a larger scale.

The valve-casing 1 has an intermediate or low pressure chamber 2, to which access may be had through a hand-hole,-which is normally closed by a cap 3. It has also a hollow branch 4 communicating with the watersupply pipe, (not shown,) a hollow branch 5 communicating with the riser of the system of distributing-pipes which extend over the area to be protected and are equipped with sprinkler-heads of anydesired construction, by which the system is hermetically closed, so as to be capable of confining air under pressure, all in customary manner, and a lateral hollow branch 6, in which is disposed a plunger 7, having a loose fit, so that under normal conditions air may leak past it, whereby atmospheric pressure is maintained within the chamber 2. The plunger is provided with an enlargement 8, which when the plunger is retracted seats upon a ring 90 surrounding the plunger and acts as a valve for closing the annular space around the plunger,'faud thereby prevents the leakage of water;

' The port (hereinafter called the inlet port through which the chamber 2 and branch 4 communicate is controlled by a valve 9, (hereinafter called the watervalve,) which is rigidly connected to one end of an arm or link 10, the other end of whichis pivotally connected with the casing.

The port (hereinafter called the outlet port) through which the chamber 2 communicates with the branch 5 is controlled by a'valv'e 11, which is rigidly connected to one endof a link 12,-the other end of which is pivotally connected to the casing at one side of said port, the casing being provided in the vicinityof said valve with a chamber of sufficientsize to permit the valve to swing upward and to one side, so as to be entirely out of the waterway, leaving the latter unobstructed. V I

To the top of the valve 9 is pivotally'connected the lower end of a strut 18, the upper end of which is adapted to bear against a bar 19, which spans the outlet-port, said strut being pivotally connected at an intermediate point to the inner extremity of the plunger 7.

With the parts thus constructed and arranged when they are in normal positions, as shown in the drawings, the strut will bear upward against the bar 1 9 and downward against the valve 9, thus holding the latter closed,

the strut itself being held in said position by the plunger and the plunger by mechanism hereinafter described; but when the plunger recedes it will draw the strut 18 into the lateral branch of the casing and swing the valve 9 upward and to one side, thus opening the inlet-port, the pressure of the water against the valve assisting this movement.

The plunger itself comprises a tubular shell and a shaft 20 disposed centrallywithin it, one end of the shaft being secured to the inner end of the shell, which is closed, while the other end of the shaft is threaded, as shown M21. The outer end of the tubular shell carries a cross-head 22, having a tubular portion 23, which surrounds the threaded portion of the shaft. This tubular portion is provided on its interior with threads adapted to engage corresponding threads on the exte- IOU rior of a tubular nut 24, the latter being in turn provided on its interior with threads adapted to engage the threaded portion 21 ofthe shaft 20. The threads on the interior and exterior of the tubular nut are pitched in opposite directions, so that (when the cross-head 22 is restrained from moving) by turning the tubular nut in one direction the plunger is moved in one direction and by turning it in the other direction the plunger is moved in the opposite direction. By this means the strut 18 may be forcibly moved and caused to exert upon the valve 9 the pressure necessary to hold it seated as against the pressure of the water against the under side of it.

The cross-head has a part 25, in the nature of an arm, which projects over the lateral branch 6 of the casing, said arm being provided with, an opening extending through it from top to bottom, in which is journaled an antifriction-roller 26, which has contact with the top side of said lateral branch 6 and holds thearm 25 out of contact with it. Theopening also provides a shoulder 27, which is lateral with, respect to the line of movement of the part 25 and which affords a, point of engagement for the toe 28 ofa latch 29,which is mounted upon a pivot 30, supported by standards 31, (only one of which isshown,) rising from the lateral branch fiofthecasing. These standards 31 also support the casing of-a valve 32, herein called the air-valve. This casing comprises a hollow base 33 and a cap 34, held down upon the base by a set-screw 35 engaging it and passing through a threaded opening in a yoke 36, having inturned fingers 37, which engage beneath lugs 38 on the base. The base of this chamber has a port 39, opening to atmosphere, and surrounding this port is a seat for the valve 32. Surrounding the valve-seat is an annular flange 40, one function of which is to guide the valve 32 in its movements, and to this end the valve is provided onits periphery with radial projections 41, which are of such length that when the valve is truly centered they will lightly touch the flange 40, whereby the valve ispermitted to move freely to and from its seat,,while at the same time it is restrained against any considerable lateral movement. This means for centering the valve is superior to that shown and describedin my former patent aforesaid. in thatit is more efficient (all liability to bind; being eliminated) and does not requiresuch nicety in the finishing of the parts.

Fluid under'pressure fills the interior of air-valve casing. Preferably this fluid is,

air and, preferably the pressure isobtained. and maintained by placing theinterior of the air-valve casing in communication with a pipe of the distributing system through the medium of a pipe 42. The pressure of this fluid upon the top of the valve tends to force and hold it down to and upon its seat, and the downwardpressure of the valve is transmitted to the latch 29 through the medium respect to the line or direction of movement of that point on the part 25 at which the latch engages it and the line of movement of the stem 43. Upon reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that a radial line extending from the it engages the part 25 is slightly oblique to the line of movement of said point, sothat the strain upon the latch is only a few degrees removed from radial, It is manifest that the nearer the strain approaches radial the less will he the tendency to move the latch about its pivotal axis, and consequently pivotal axis of the latch to the point at which the less will be the force necessary-to restrain it against such movement. It'is also manifest that the nearer the direction of therestraining force approaches a tangent of the are described by the latch the less force is required. It is also manifest that the nearer the part through which said force istransmitted approaches said tangent the lesswill be the lateral strain upon it. Henceit is that the pivotal point and toe of thelatoh are so disposed that a line passing from one to theother is only slightly oblique to the line of movement of the point on the part-251st which the said toe engages, and hence it is that the stem or post 43 is perpendicular to a radius of the latch. Preferably the obliquity aforesaid is only sufficient to insure a disengagement of the toe of the latch from the shoulder 27 by the pressure of the latter against the former when the latch isfreed from the restraint ofthe stem 43,,which takes place when the pressure upon the top of the air-valve is reduced to a; predetermined amount.

For the purpose of still further avoidin lateral strains upon the stem 43 incident to the pressure of the latch against itand confining said pressure as nearly as possible to the axial center of said stem the, latter is dressed off- (preferably rounded) so that it has a central bearing-point,

For the purpose of limiting the movement of the latch it is providedwitha shoulder 45, which is adapted, to come iu contact with the guide 44, thereby forminga stop, and for the p p of au ing t e utoma ic itt ns the latch as thevalve is being set the end; of the latch or the end of the part 255.01% both, are beveled off.

The geometrical terms herein used arenot to be construed strictly, but as includiugapproximations, and in this connection it may lbe stated that any arrangement'of the movable part 25 and latch 29 which will cause said part to exert a longitudinal, as distin-' guished from a transverse, strain upon the latch and which will insure the automatic disengagement of the latch from said part solely by the pressure of the latter upon the former is within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a valve for automatic fire-extinguishers, the combination with asuitable casing having a water-inlet, and a valve for controlling it, of means for controlling said'valve, said means having a part having a rectilinear movement, a pivoted latch engaging said part and means controlled by fluid under pressure for controlling said latch, the latch being so disposed that a radial line extending from its pivotal axis to its point of engagement with said movable part is oblique to the line of movement of said point, substantially as described.

2. In a valve for automatic fire-extinguishers, the combination with a suitable casing having a water-inlet, and a valve for controlling it, of means for controlling said valve,

said means having a reciprocable plunger, a cross-head carried by said plunger and partaking of the rectilinear movement thereof, a part carried by said cross-head and having a shoulder, a pivoted latch engaging said shoulder and means controlled by fluid under pres sure for controlling said latch, the latch being so disposed that a radial line extending from its pivotal axis to its point of engagement with said shoulder is oblique to the line of movement of said shoulder, substantially as described.

3. In a valve for automatic fire-extinguishers, the combination with a suitable casing having an inlet for water and a valve for controlling it, of means for controlling said valve, said means having a horizontally-movable part provided with a shoulder, a pivoted latch disposed above said part, horizontally, and having a toe projecting downward and engaging said shoulder, a stop for limiting the descent of the toe of the latch, and means controlled by fluid under pressure for controlling said latch, substantially as described.

4:. In a valve for automatic fire-extinguishers, the combination with a suitable casing having an inlet for water and a valve for controlling it, of means for controlling said valve, said means including a movable part, a latch engaging said part and so disposed that strain put upon it by the movable part aforesaid is outward from its pivotal point, a stem engaging said latch and movable in a direction which is transverse to the line of said strain, and a valve controlled by fluid under pressure for controlling said stem, substantially as described.

5. In a valve for automatic fire-extinguishers, the combination with a suitable casing having an inlet for water and a valve for controlling it, of means for controlling said valve, said means including a movable part, a pivoted latch engaging said part, said latch being so disposed that a radial line extending from its pivotal axis to its point of engagement with said movable part is oblique to the line of movement of said point, a stem engaging said latch and movable in a direction which is transverse to saidradial line, and a valve controlled by fluid under pressure for controlling said stem, substantially as described.

6. In a valve for automatic fire-extinguishers, the combination with a suitable casing having an inlet for water and a valve for controllin git, of means for controlling said valve, said means having a movable part, a pivoted latch having a toe engaging said part, said toe being disposed laterally with respect to a radial line cutting it, a stem engaging said latch and movable laterally with respect thereto, and a valve controlled by fluid under pressure for controlling said stem, substantially as described.

7. In a valve for automatic fire-extinguishers, the combination with a suitable casing having an inlet for water, and a valve for controlling it, of means for controlling said valve, said means having a movable part, a pivoted latch disposed in the general direction of the movement of said part and having a toe for engaging said part and disposed laterally with respect to said direction of movement, a stem engaging said latch and movable laterally with respect to the aforesaid direction of movement, and a valve controlled by fluid under pressure for controlling said stem, substantially as described.

8. In a valve for automatic fire-extinguishers, the combination with a suitable casing having an inlet for water, and a valve for controlling it, of means for controlling said valve, said means having a horizontally-movable part, a pivoted latch projecting horizontally from its pivot and having a laterally-projecting toe engaging said movable part, a stem engaging said latch and movable vertically, and a valve controlled by fluid under pressure for controlling said stem, substantially as described.

9. In a valve for automatic fire-extinguishers, the combination with a suitable casing having an inlet for water, and a valve controlling it, of means for controlling said valve, said means having a horizontally-movable part provided with a shoulder, a pivoted latch disposed above said movable part, horizontally, and having a toe projecting downward and engaging said shoulder, a vertically-movable stem disposed above said latch and engaging it, and a valve controlled by fluid under pressure for controlling said stem, substantially as described.

CHARLES \V. KERSTETER.

Witnesses:

MARIE NIOHOLLS, L. M. HOPKINS. 

